Not Even Death
by SweetlyMagnifique
Summary: "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." One-shot MMAD


_**Ok, here I am with very first Harry Potter fic. This was written for MadHatterBellatrix10's goodbye challenge. **_  
_**My quote was "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard". ~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie. Thankyou to McGonagall's Bola for beta reading this for me. Happy reading!**_

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Minerva absentmindedly played with the ring that resided on her left hand as she waited for him. It was a stunning summer evening at the top of the Astronomy Tower as different shades of blue, pink, purple, yellow, red and orange streaked through the sky to form an effortless gradient. She thought that Mother Nature's pallet on the canvas of reality was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever set eyes on, but that thought almost immediately left her mind when she looked down on the ring on her left hand. The gold band, set with a sapphire and an emerald that were separated by a ruby, had been Albus' gift to her on their wedding day. She'd never seen his eyes sparkle as much as when he made his vows to her and he'd told her that she'd never looked so beautiful. She thought that they were more in love now than on their wedding day.

When she'd found Albus' note on her desk, worry had seized her. They'd sent each other little love notes all the time, but this one was different. He had said that he had something important to tell her and that she was to meet him in their special place up on the Astronomy Tower. She had left immediately.

"I'm glad to see you could make it."

Minerva spun around to see Albus standing there, watching her. A content smile was on his face. "Albus, how long have you been standing there?" she asked with a slight giggle.

"Long enough, I've been here for about ten minutes." His voice was gentle as it always was, but his eyes betrayed him.

"Albus?" She walked over to him and took his hand. "What's this all about?"

He didn't answer, but he raised a hand to her face and traced her angular jaw line gently as if trying to remember her by heart."Minerva... my Minerva, know that I will always love you to the end of the earth and back."

Something definitely wasn't right, and she now knew it–her suspicions had been confirmed. Albus had said that he loved her on many occasions, but never like this. She pulled back from his embrace."What's going on?" She locked eyes with her husband of forty years; those deep pools of sparkling blue always looked so alive,but now they were growing dimmer. They were dying.

Albus pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her hair which, for once, was free of its usual bun, and started whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

All those worries that ran through Minerva's mind at top speed already just increased at his statement, a chorus of alarm bells going off in her head. _Goodbye? What's he talking about? I knew something was wrong_. Frantic thoughts whizzed round her mind. Interrupting his whispers, she asked the question he knew would come. "What do you mean with goodbye, Albus?"

He let her go and went to the opposite side of the balcony to look out over what had become his life's work. He knew what he wanted and what he had to do. He was going to make one last sacrifice in the name of the greater good. Feeling a delicate hand rest on his arm, he turned his head to see his wife gazing at him intently. She asked him again what was wrong, and he had to tell her.

Minerva could see the battle raging in her husband's eyes and decided to be patient and keep a reassuring hand on his arm until he was ready to talk to her. She needed to know what was going on, but knew all would be revealed in due course.

After what seemed like eternity, Albus took a deep breath and spoke to her. "I'm going on a little trip with Harry, Min."

"And I'll be right here waiting for you when you return" All this fuss over a little trip with Harry? Minerva smiled to herself; Albus often went on trips to sort out some business or to help the Ministry. Why would Harry need to go, though? It couldn't be something concerning You-Know-Who? That would be too dangerous. No, it was just a silly little business trip. She smiled and shook her head at Albus, expecting him to give a little chuckle in return. He just looked grave.

"It's not like my other little outings, my dear." He paused as realisation took over Minerva's face. It was going to be very different indeed. It was Minerva's turn to look grave.

"You're going after another one, aren't you?" She almost sounded defeated, for nothing could stop Albus Dumbledore once he started something. He'd have to finish. Tears threatened to fill her eyes as she saw her husband nod.

"Why? You shouldn't, not after what it did to you last time!" she said, gesturing to his left arm. "I almost lost you that night. Why should you have to go after another one?" He remained silent, and either Minerva's patience was wearing thin or, for once, her emotions were getting the better of her. She couldn't bear the thought of almost losing him again. "Don't I deserve an answer?"

"I must, my dear, as it's for the greater good."

Tears immediately sprung to her eyes and were released in quick succession. Albus knew that she was going to break down. He'd wanted to avoid this and say that it was only a silly little business trip and that he'd be home in time for dinner, but then he thought of what she'd think afterwards. It would be worse than any reaction she could give now.

"I don't care about the greater good! What about me? Don't you care about me, Albus? I nearly lost you that night and you're going to put me through that, tear me to shreds again?" She knew she shouldn't be acting like this and that Abus always had her best interests at heart, but she couldn't live without him and she didn't know what she'd do without him. If she was pushed too far and he wasn't there, she would break.

"Of course I care about you, my love. I must go to protect you all and to help Harry reach his goal." He pulled her into another embrace and held her tightly.

"When will you be back?" She lifted her head from where she'd been resting it on his chest to look at him.

This is what Albus had been waiting for. Should he tell his dearest Minerva that she would never again see him alive, or should he tell her he'd be home soon? He couldn't lie to her. Minerva had always been able to tell when he was lying to her, and he wasn't going to start now. She needed to know the truth.

"I'll be home soon, Min, but not as you'd like me to be." This made Minerva totally confused. She'd love Albus to come home, so what was he trying to say?

"What do you mean, not as I'd like you to be?"

The hardest part of the night had come. The sun was dropping below the horizon, and it was getting darker. He had to tell her now. "My dear, I will return to Hogwarts soon. However I'd have started my next great adventure."

It was this piece of news that finally broke the infallible Minerva McGonagall as she realised she'd never see her love alive again. She clung to him as she cried into his shoulder, her body shaking at the strength of the sobs that had taken over her.

Albus held her close. He cried with her while offering a gesture of comfort and savouring the feeling of her in his arms for the last time.

When she'd calmed down, it was almost completely dark. Minerva's beautiful emerald green eyes were stained red from tears as were Albus' blue ones. They just stood together as one for what seemed like an eternity before Albus spoke again. "My love, I must leave you now." His tone was one of finality and sadness.

"Why now? On our wedding day, you promised never to leave me on my own." She'd started crying again and Albus drew soothing circles on her back until she pulled back from him. "I-I need you."

The sight of his wife before him ripped Albus apart. He hated to leave her, but knew that it had to be done. "I'll always be there for you when you need me." He leant down to her and captured her lips in a kiss.

"I love you, Albus, more than anything," Minerva said when they pulled apart.

"And I you, Minerva, with all my heart." He kissed her one last time. "Goodbye, my dear Minerva. We will meet again."

And with that he was gone and the strongest witch of her age cried until her eyes were dry. As the final tear slid down her face, she whispered, "How lucky I was to have had someone that made saying goodbye so hard." She and Albus truly loved each other, and not even Death would change that, that was certain.


End file.
